FINAL PROJECT
The final project is an opportunity for you to use the statistical
methods we have discussed in class to answer a question or questions of
your choosing. You may carry out a Data Analysis
Project or a Critical Review of a Meta-Analysis Journal Article
for
the project.
The goal is demonstrate that you are
proficient at statistical methods using a statistical package, as well
as interpreting and presenting results.
Think of a question or problem,
and then determine how you can obtain the data to answer the
question. You may work in groups of 2 to 4 students.
When designing your project, think of how you are
going to analyze your data. Appropriate types of problems/data include
- Comparing two groups (or more) on some quantitative variable
- Testing for a relationship between two quantatitive variables (regression)
- Testing for association between two (or more) qualatative variables
(contingency table)
Make sure that you can analyze your data given the statistical methods that
you've learned, so that your project is do-able. If you are interested
in pursuing an advanced topic that goes beyond what we have covered in
class, please see me first.
Data Collection
You may collect your own data using a survey or by conducting an
experiment. You should make sure that you follow the guidelines for good
study design discussed in Part 1 of the text. You may also use
pre-existing data from another class, research project or paper (see
below).
Guidelines for Writing up your Data Analysis Project
The write-up should address the research question, methods, results, and
conclusions. This should be done in two pages max! Write-ups that are
longer than this will not be graded. Use a font no smaller than 10
point, with 1 inch margins on all sides. Neatly annotated computer output
and graphs may go into an appendix.
Research Question
State the research or policy questions you hope to answer with
your data in the introduction of the report. Describe why this question
is of interest or is important to answer. State any hypotheses you have
about what you expect to find and why.
Methods
Describe the method used to obtain your data. For example, if
you use a survey, describe how the survey was designed, how your
sample was chosen, and include a copy of the survey with your
report in an appendix. If you are using data obtained previously
by another researcher, give the complete source, describe how the data
was originally gathered, and how you obtained the dataset. This should
be complete enough that someone else later should be able to obtain the
data.
Describing Your Dataset
Describe what each variable measures. A copy of the dataset
with labeled variables must be attached to your report in an appendix and
on a diskette. If the dataset is large, list only one page of the
observations.
Description of Statistical Analyses
After providing the decription of your dataset and research
question, you should apply what you have learned about
descriptive statistics, graphical methods, and inferential
statistics to your data set. Focus on methods that help you answer
your research or policy question. Use the JMP statistical
computer package (or a program of your choosing) for this part of your
project. The body of your report should provide a brief description of
the methods you have used.
Results
You should report the results of any statistical tests or confidence
intervals. More detailed computer output and graphs should be clearly
labeled in an appendix. The main results should be presented in the body
of the report and should be able to stand on their own, without
reference to the appendix. Interpret the results of your analyses. What
do they mean statistically and in terms of your research question?
Conclusions
This is an opportunity for a discussion
summarizing what you have learned from your data. Include
speculation about the theoretical implications for your
particular findings and the relationship of your findings to
current theory in your field. Also provide a critique of your own
methods including issues pertaining to the reliability of your data and
general validity of your conclusions, and appropriateness of the statistical
analyses performed. Include suggestions for future research.
Grading of the project
The point distribution for the project
will be as follows:
- 70% Statistical Mastery and Content -
What is the quality of the research question(s)? Is
the project idea of theoretical interest? What is the quality of
the data collected, and relevancy of the data to the questions
being asked? Does it appear that time and effort went into the
planning of the project? Are the written descriptions accurate?
Are appropriate statistical procedures carried out
and interpreted correctly? Are implications of the
findings thought through? Are the limitations of the study
recognized?
- 30% Writing and Presentation - Is the writing clear and concise?
Is the presentation clearly organized? Are graphs, tables,
statistical analyses, and any attachments neatly presented? Are sources
clearly labeled? Is the project persuasive?
All members of a group will receive the same grade, unless special
circumstances suggest otherwise.
The goal of this project is to demonstrate proficency at
interpreting and summarizing scientific literature using statistical methods.
Find a journal article that presents a meta-analysis. This should be
from a peer reviewed journal. Please check with
me before you start. Please turn in a 2 page
report that addresses the following issues:
- Give an overview of the article and its conclusions.
What hypothesis(es) are being tested? What statistical methods are used?
Give a brief explanation of the statistical methods used.
- Explain what the researchers used as the criteria for deciding
which studies to include.
- Explain which of the benefits of meta-analysis are evident in
the article.
- Discuss each of the potential criticisms of meta-analysis and how
they were handled in the article. Is important information missing?
- Summarize your conclusions about the topic based on the article and
your answers to the above parts.
Your report should be written with 1 inch margins, and with a font no
smaller than 10pt. Please include a copy of the article with complete
information on the source: journal, pages, year, author, title.
The point distribution for the project
will be as follows:
- 65% Statistical Mastery and Content -
Does it appear that time and effort went into the
the project? Are the written descriptions accurate?
Are statistical procedures interpreted correctly?
Are the limitations of the study recognized?
- 35% Writing and Presentation - Is the writing clear and concise?
Is the presentation clearly organized? Is the project persuasive?